The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-10
Mr.. MATTHEW ARNOLD
MAKES A SUMxARY OF GENERAL
GRANTS CHARACTERS,
And Thinks He Had a Good Deal Of
the Character and Qualities
OF Wellington.

500, 900 Tor the benefit OF his widow
and family, there have not in Eng
land been sold OF the book 300
copies. Certainly the book has had
NO wide circulation here-it has not
been much read or much discussed.
There are obvious reasons for this.
The book relates in great detail the
military history of the American
civil war, so far as Grant bore part
in il. Such a history cannot posi-
bly, have for other nations the inter
est which it has for the United
States themselves. For the general
reader, outside of America, it GER
tainly cannot; as to the value aud
Importance Of the history to the
military specialist, that is a question
on which / hear very conflicting
opinions expressed, and one on which
l myself can have, of course, no
opinion to offer. So far as
the general European reader
might still be attracted to such a
history, in spite of its military de-
tails, for the sake Of the importance
Of the issues at stake and Of the per-
sonages engaged, we in Europe have,
it cannot be denied, in approaching
an American recital of the deeds Of
the greatest nation upon earth,
some apprehension and mistrust to
get over. We may be pardoned for
doubling whether we shall in the re-
cital find measure, whether we shall
find sobriety. Then, too, Gen. Grant.
the central figure of these Memoirs,
is not TO the English Imagination the
hero Of the American Civil War;
the hero is Lee, and of Lee the Mem
oirs tell us little. Moreover, Gen.
Grant, when he was in England, did
not himself personally interest peo-
pie much. Later he fell in America
into the hands OF financing specu.
lators, aud his embarrassments,
though they excited sorrow and com
passion, did not at all present them
selves to us as those OF "a good man
struggling with adversely" For all
these reasons, then, the Personal
Memoirs have in England been re-
ceived with GOODNESS and indiffer-
ence.
Il too, had seen Gen. Grant in Eng.
land, and did not find him interest
ing. If ] said the truth, | should say
that | thought him ordinary looking,
dull and silent. An expression OF
gentleness and even sweetness in the
eyes, which the portraits in the Mem
oirs show, escaped me. A strong,
resolute, business like man, who, by
possession OF unlimited resources in
men and money, and by the unspar-
ing use OF them, had been enabled to
wear down and exhaust the strength
OF the South, this was what | sup
posed Grant to be, this and little
more.
Some documents published by
Gen. Badeau in the American news
papers first attracted my serious at
tention TO Grant. Among these docu
ments was letter from him which
showed qualities for which in the
rapid and uncharitable view which
our cursory judgments Of men so
often take, | had by no means given
him credit. 1t was the letter Of a
man with the virtue, rare every
where, but more rare in America,
perhaps, than anywhere else, the vir-
tue OF being able to confront and re-
sist popular clamor, the cip,um ordor
I,rdpa jubcntiUm. Public opinion
seemed in favor of hard and in
soleut course; the authorities seemed
putting pressure upon Grant to make
him follow 1t. After reading that let
ter | turned to Gen, Grants Personal
Memoirs, then just published. This
man, | said to myself, deserves re.
spect and attention, and | read the
two bulky volumes through.
Il found shown in them man
strong resolute and business like, a,
Grant had appeared TO me when
first saw him; man with no magic
al personality, touched by no divin,
light and giving out none. | tounC
language all astray in its use o
will and shall, should and would, al
English employing the verb to con
script and the participle conscript
ing, aud speaking in a dispatch t
the Secretary of War of having bad
" whipped the enemy; an Englisl
without charm and without higl
breeding. But at the same time
found man OF sterling good sense a
well as of the firmest resolution.
man, withal, humane, simple, mod
est, from all restless self conscious
ness and desire for display perfect,
free; never boasttul where he him
self was concerned, and where hi
nation was concerned seldom boast
ful, boastiul only in circumstance
where nothing but high genius o
high training, | suppose, cal
save an American from bein
boastiul. | found a Language
straightforward, nervous and possess
ing in general the high merit of say
ing clearly in the fewest possible
words what had to be said, and say
ing it frequently, with shrewd an,
unexpected turns of expression. TIL
Memoirs renewed and completed tn
impressions which the letter give
by Gen. Badeau had made upon me
And now | want to enable Grant anC
his Memoirs as far as possible +
speak for themselves to the EngisI
public, which knows them, believe
rs imperlectly as few months az
myself did.
His own account of his first ex
perience as a commander is YER
characteristic of him:
"'My sensations as we approached what
Supn sed might be a field Of battle, Wer
asything but agreeable. | hal been in al
the ens agementg in Mexico that " was pos
fihls for one person TO be in but not IN com
maud. II some one else had been colonel
ana | had been lieutenant colonel, do no
think would h I'VE felt any ttepidation BE
fore we we're prepared TO cross the Misns
gippi river at Quincy, my anxiety was re
Loved, for the meu OF the be6iegod regimen
came sttsg ling into the town. ] am In
clined 10 thiak both sides got Enlightened an
ran away,
Now, however, he was startleC
and from this time until he receive
Lees surrender at Appomatto
Court House, four years later, h
was always the same strong maj
showing the same valuable qualitie